Thriving

 A trio of siblings currently very popular in Christian contemporary music recently spoke of some deep waters they'd gone through together and individually. I don't mean to denigrate what they said, but it left me with a hollow feeling. They said that in the midst of their "storm," they determined that they would "survive." I get that. Sometimes it seems like that's all we can hope for in the midst of the catastrophes that can strike at us in life. However, I don't believe that to survive is part of God's desire for us in our trials. I believe His purpose is for us to thrive in Him even as we walk through them. Survival is not God's last word for us. In fact, He has many. Victory. Abundance. Joy. Peace. Presence. Power. He means for these to be the fruit of our experience in the dark places of our lives. Yes, there will be pain, and loss, and suffering, but these are not to define us. His words of life coming to pass in and through us are. 

A promise that has sustained me and given both hope and life is found in 2 Chronicles 20:12. Judah and her king, Jehoshaphat, were faced with a vastly superior army, one they had no realistic hope of defeating. Jehoshaphat cried out to the Father. "We are powerless against this mighty army which is about to attack us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on You." Devastation can come upon us so suddenly, sweeping away all that we hold dear. We don't know what to do and we don't know where to turn....if our eyes remain upon what has happened. His call to us is to place our focus upon Him. What has happened is not His last word. He is in the midst of it. He hasn't left us alone. He will make a way. Listen to this. He will not fail you. The mighty army arrayed against Judah did not prevail. They were put to flight. Judah and her king did not just survive. They thrived. 

Whatever is arrayed against you today, would you dare to look not first for a way out, or even for an answer on what to do? Would you dare to simply put your eyes upon Him? To, as Scripture says, "Fix your eyes upon Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith." What has befallen is real, but He is more real. What has crushed you can never crush Him. Look to Him. Believe Him. Trust Him. Cling to Him. He doesn't call you to simply survive, but to come alive....in Him. 

Blessings,
Pastor O